At DDDS, all of our classes are taught by qualified dance professionals who
take a vested interest in children and their growth as well rounded dancers.
Our staff keeps a fun, non-competitive environment that allows the students
to build self esteem and life-long friendships with their classmates.

Click on the names below to read a little information about each of our
teachers:

Dianna Durkin
(Founder/Teacher)
owned DDDS 1960-2014. She is still teaching, works in the
office & is our mentor. She is a great inspiration to us
all, especially to her daughter, (Cindy) our current owner.

While she was a senior
at Green High School, she was given the studio by her dance teacher
Martha Galvin Fritz. When Dianna took over the studio only 5
students remained. Within 2 years she had built it to over 100
students. The studio now has over 200 families with a
teaching staff of 11. She is most proud of how many former
students have enrolled their children as well as grand children! Many of Dianna’s former students have
gone on to perform in soap operas, television shows, theater
productions, amusement parks, as well as becoming dance teaching
professionals.

Dianna continues to learn by attending
teacher conventions in Las Vegas & NYC and taking classes at the
Broadway Dance Center in NYC. She has also been a member of
Dance Masters of America of which she has been certified by test
to teach. Dianna would like to take this
opportunity to thank the students and families currently
enrolled and those from years past. “Thank-You!”

Cindy Hixson
(Owner/Teacher)
began dancing at the age of 2 at DDDS. She has also studied
dance with the Canton Ballet and the University of Akron. She
has studied in NYC with various master teachers over the years
including: Charles Kelley, Frank Hatchett, Germaine
Salsberg, Avi Miller, Ofer Ben, Chio, Mia Michaels, and Tyce Diorio.
She continues her education by attending workshops, conventions,
traveling to NYC to take classes at the Broadway Dance Center,
as well as attending the Pulse Teacher convention in New York
City. Cindy has been a member of Dance Masters of America
of which she has been certified by test to teach. She has also
been a dancer on the Cleveland Cavilers Dance Team. Cindy
specializes in tap & jazz & has been
a teacher at DDDS for over 30 years. She strives to make her
classes a place where dancers are motivated to improve their
skills and unleash their creativity while doing something they
love! Cindy would like to thank her students because watching
them perform her choreography on stage has been some of the
greatest moments of her career!

has been an instructor at Dianna
Durkin Dance for over 20 years. She
started dancing at the age of 3 and
continued for 16 years with Bourn Dance
Academy. Jennifer has over 11 years of
competition experience, winning numerous
overall awards, such as Top Soloist, at
regional as well as national
competitions. She went on to study dance
at Kent State University and obtained a
bachelors degree in Business. Later, she
graduated from the University of Akron
with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance with a
Business Cognate. While at University of
Akron, she performed with the University
of Akron Dance Company, working with
such choreographers as Tom Smith, Robin
Prichard, and MaryAnn Black. She was
named the rehearsal and residency
assistant for the "Stream" project in
conjunction with the Ohio State
University Dance Program in Dublin,
Ohio. In addition to her schooling, she
also continues her dance education by
attending conventions such as the Pulse
Teacher Workshops through Broadway Dance
Center in New York City. She has had
classes, workshops, and conventions with
such influential choreographers as Finis
Jhung, Mia Michaels, David Howard,
Desmond Richardson, and Frank Hatchett.
In addition to teaching at Dianna
Durkin, she also teaches Barre Fitness
classes at Yoga Lounge and Barre in
Hudson, Ohio and is a Part-Time Faculty
member in the University of Akron's
Dance Department. She recently taught
Master Classes at the All-Ohio Dance
Festival and has been involved with
guest teaching at numerous local
studios, elementary, and collegiate
programs. Jennifer's choreography has
won top choreography awards as well as
high score awards at competitions. This
fall, her choreography will be showcased
in the University of Akron Dance
Company's Fall Faculty show.

Throughout her years of teaching
Jennifer has taught ballet, lyrical,
contemporary, modern, stretch/technique,
jazz, pointe, musical theater, and tap.
Jennifer enjoys sharing her love for
dance as an art form with her students
as well as preparing them for continuing
education. "We are teaching the students
more than just dance, we are teaching
them about life! Come celebrate life
with me!"

Dusty Spraggins
began her dance training at DDDS when she was a teen. She
has been a teacher for over 20 years now with DDDS.
Over the years, she has participated in numerous
competitions, and also attended various workshops.
She specializes in teaching our youngest little dancers.
Dusty has a unique way of keeping her classes fun & interesting
for young children, while still teaching them basics of dance.
Her students love her kind & patient ways. She hopes to make their first experience
with dance class, instructive but also enjoyable and memorable.
Dusty loves working with our pre dance classes & watching them
fall in love with dance!

Tara Beamish
started dancing at DDDS when she was 8 years old. She began
taking classes in tap, jazz, and later added hip hop. Over the
years, she has participated in numerous competitions, and also
attended various workshops. Tara was also a member of the Green
High School Dance Team,and then took additional dance classes at
Kent State University. In 2009& 2010, she traveled to NYC to
take classes at the Broadway Dance Center and attended the Pulse
Convention (with SYTYCD choreographers). Tara began as an
assistant teacher in 1996, and then started teaching her own
classes in 1999. Currently, she is teaching beginner tap and jazz, and several pre-dance classes. Though she
loves all types of dance, Tara's favorite has always been tap!
Tara truly enjoys teaching our young dancers, and introducing
them to the world of dance!

Lauren is a graduate from The University of
Akron where she received her B.A. in Dance
with a Business Cognate and will receive her
MA in Arts Administration in May 2018. She
has performed in a number of student
choreographed projects, with The University
of Akron Dance Company, and as a
representative of Ballet in Cleveland, doing
promotional performances and video shoots.
Lauren has also participated in Akron
Children's Hospital Dancing for the Kids
fundraiser for the past four years. She
shares her love for dance through dance
education and has been teaching dance and
other arts classes for almost 10 years. She
has attended teacher conventions such as the
Pulse convention in New York City and has
taken many classes at BDC. She is always
striving to be become a better teacher by
continuing to educate yourself. She
is currently the Education Director at
Weathervane Playhouse and has supervised
educational outreach programs, created
curricula, established an arts ambassador
program, and has coordinated performances
with experience in the studio setting, in
school programs, and with community
organizations.

Dana Grahamis a
recent graduate of The University of Akron. She received a
degree in Dance Education and Early Childhood Education. Dana
started her dance training at DDDS when she was 2 ˝. She took
classes in tap, jazz, ballet, pointe, lyrical, and hip hop. She
has attended workshops like The Pulse in NYC and Excel in
Motion. As well as taking classes at the Broadway Dance Center
in New York. She has taken master classes from Tyce Diorio,
Chris Judd, Mia Michaels, Kent Boyd, Lauren Froderman, and many
other amazing choreographers. In the near future, Dana hopes to
be a school teacher and bring dance to public schools in after
school programs. Dana believes every child should have the
opportunity to dance.

Elyse
Morckel
Is an
Akron native and recently completed her dance training at The
Ohio State University and has returned to the Akron area to
begin her career as a independent choreographer, teacher,
videographer, and performer. She performed in evening length
works for choreographers such as Esther Baker-Tarpaga, Robin
Pritchard, Dante Brown, Melanie Bales, and Dianne McIntyre.
Elyse studied choreographic composition under Vicki Blaine,
Susan Hadley, and Bebe Miller. Her most recent works "our place"
and collaboration "Scat in VII" with Lauren Bedal, were awarded
numerous creative research grants from both the Department of
Dance and the College of Arts and Sciences. "Scat in VII" was
also selected to represent the Department of Dance in this years
ACDFA district conference. She has taught at Akron School for
the Arts at Firestone High School and Miller South School for
the Visual and Performing
Arts.
Elyse looks forward to sharing all that she has learned with her
students!

Miranda
Harig is a recent graduate of Kent State
University and holds a BFA degree in Dance Performance. Miranda
joined DDDS when she was 8 years old and continued her dance
journey there until graduating high school. Miranda was a full
company member of Kent’s pre-professional dance company, the
Kent Dance Ensemble. As a Kent Dance major, she performed in
faculty and student choreographed concerts since her freshman
year and performed in the American College Dance Association’s
adjudication concerts and informal concert. She has studied with
numerous individuals, most notably Garth Fagan and River North
Dance Chicago. During her tenure at Kent State, she worked with
various choreographers during residencies for the Kent Dance
Ensemble. Her awards include The Xavier Atienza Dance
Scholarship, The Eugenia v. Erdmann Award in Dance, the Kent
Dance Ensemble Guest Artist Honor Award, Outstanding Service to
the Dance Division, Outstanding Achievement in Growth and
Development, The May O’Donnell Memorial Award, and The L. Leroy
Cowperthwaite Scholarship. Miranda is thrilled to be back with
her dance family sharing her love for dance as an art form with
her students and peers.